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Last Updated:
Mar 19th, 2008 - 07:43:02 |
magine
hundreds, maybe even a couple thousand Detroiters walking around
Mexicantown. They’re drinking hot chocolate, eating tamales and kids
are carrying “sugar-skulls” that look like Halloween treats of sorts,
and everyone is walking to the beat of a mariachi band. Every now and
then people duck into one building or another to check out a cultural
art exhibit — but all you can see from the street is the smoke of
rising incense and candles, a few picture frames and what looks like a
psychedelic skeleton. Welcome to Dia de Muertos. “In the future, we
want to see Detroit embrace the celebrations of Day of the Dead in
Mexicantown the same way it has embraced Paczki Day in Hamtramck,”
Maria Elena Rodriguez, president of the Mexicantown Community
Development Corporation (MCDC) hopes.
Dia de Muertos is one of the most interesting, if not important,
celebratory traditions found in Hispanic culture. Misunderstood by many
to be a day of mournful memory, it really couldn’t be more opposite.
Dia de Muertos is a celebration of life and death. Dolores Sanchez,
head of the Mexicantown Fiesta Center, tries to explain this concept
every year to about 500 students who come to Mexicantown for Dia de
Muertos from as far north as Cadillac and as far south as Cincinnati.
“You can think of our spirits as aliens who have come to live in our
physical bodies until our physical bodies run down and die,” she tells
them. “The spirit inside the body doesn’t die though, that soul, the
‘alien,’ lives on and goes back to where it came form or onto another
stage. Though we grieve the loss, we should be happy when someone dies.
We believe they are going to a better place, a new beginning.”
The celebrations and educational opportunities occurring on Dia de
Muertos, which happens Nov. 1-2 in Mexicantown, are fantastic. It has
not always been this way. Though there has been a growing Mexican
community in southwest Detroit since the early 1900s, there had been a
sense of exclusivity among some community members, making it difficult
for Dia de Muertos to be celebrated in the same tradition as Mexico
where it is a community-wide celebration.
Sugar skulls, decorated skeletons, Day of the Dead bread and alters
(“ofrendas”) dedicated to the deceased are the central symbols of Dia
de Muertos. Only for the last eight years has the community been able
to provide these essentials for themselves. Prior to this Maria Elena
Rodriguez, president of the MCDC would have to bring them back from
Mexico in two suitcases. In the face of some protest, the MCDC has not
only made the Day of the Dead a district wide event, affably inviting
their Irish neighbors to the North to join in the festivities, but they
have also opened it up for all of Michigan as well as our border buds
in Canada and Ohio.
The whole neighborhood gets involved now; business, schools, churches
and restaurants all contribute what they can to create a traditional,
educational and festive atmosphere. The Matrix Theater Company will
host a series of workshops (a yearly tradition at the Matrix) focusing
mainly on the making of ‘sugar-skull’ cookies, a Dia de Muertos
tradition. Resident artist Mary Luevenos will lead these workshops.
They will also have an ofrenda on display as part of the ofrenda
walking tour. “We want these kids to learn the importance and
background of Mexican culture,” Danielle Troia of the Matrix Theater
said. “The Day of the Dead offers us a fun and interesting way to do
it.” The walking tour around Mexicantown offers a fun way for visitors
to see the various approaches and styles of ofrendas while also getting
a taste of the neighborhood. One of the most elaborate and popular
altars every year is at Saint Anne’s Catholic Church. Father Sepulveda
is rather pleased of this custom, “We put up a very traditional ofrenda
dedicated to all deceased people, though we invite our parishioners to
bring pictures of their deceased to add to the alter,” he said. “It’s
quite elaborate … takes an entire workday to assemble. The alter at
Ste. Anne’s is a very strong tradition here in Mexicantown … we are
very proud of it.”
At my parents’ house there is a coffee table with a picture of one of
the most beloved members of my family … not two years deceased. Next to
his picture are one of his paintings
(he was an artist), a gourd (he loved autumn), a guitar (he was a
musician) and some Chinese incense (he was a Buddhist). This is an
ofrenda and we didn’t even know it. I imagine mine is not the only
non-Hispanic family around who do this sort of thing. I used to look at
it and it would make my heart heavy. Now I have adopted the Mexican
mindset and look at this altar as a celebration of his life and
transition into whatever comes next. | RDW
Mexicantown will celebrate Dia de Muertos on November 1-2. More info: www.mexicantown.org or 313.967.9898.
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